"Those with talent who naturalise today can easily leave the country of adoption for greener pasture tomorrow; it is what these developed countries do to keep them there that really matters.

Between the hard-working stateless man who has spent much of his life toiling on Malaysian soil and the corrupt politician who continues to squander our national wealth, it does not take a genius to distinguish who is the real patriot." By Josh Hong in Malaysiakini

VISITORS

6. The Right to Justice

The Holy Quran has said:

“Do not let your hatred of a people incite you to aggression” (5:2). “And do not let ill-will towards any folk incite you so that you swerve from dealing justly. Be just; that is nearest to heedfulness” (5:8).

Muslims have to be just not only with ordinary human beings but even with their enemies.

The justice to which Islam invites her followers is not limited only to _

the citizens of their own country, or

the people of their own tribe,

nation or

race, or

the Muslim community as a whole,

but it is meant for all the human beings of the world.

Muslims therefore, cannot be unjust to anyone.

7. Equality of Human Beings

Islam recognizes absolute equality between men irrespective of any distinction of colour, race or nationality.

The Almighty God has laid down in the Holy Quran:

“O mankind, we have created you from a male and female.”

In other words all human beings are brothers to one another.

They all are the descendants from one father and one mother.

“And we set you up as nations and tribes so that you may be able to recognize each other” (49:13).

The division of human beings into nations, races, groups and tribes is for the sake of distinction, so that people of one race or tribe may meet and be acquainted with the people belonging to another race or tribe and co-operate with one another.

This division of the human race is neither meant for one nation to take pride in its superiority over others nor is it meant for one nation to treat another with contempt or disgrace, or regard them as a mean and degraded race and usurp their rights.

“Indeed, the noblest among you before God are the most heedful of you” (49:13).

The Prophet in address of the Farewell Hajj :

“No Arab has any superiority over a non-Arab,

nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab.

Nor does a white man have any superiority over a black man

or the black man any superiority over the white man.

You are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay” (al-Bayhaqi and al-Bazzaz).

Islam established equality for the entire human raceand struck at the very root of all distinctions based on colour, race, language or nationality.

According to Islam, God has given man this right of equality as a birthright.

Therefore no man should be discriminated against on the ground of the colour of his skin, his place of birth, the race or the nation in which he was born.

8. The Right to Co-operate

and Not to Co-operate

“Co-operate with one another for virtue and heedfulness and

do not co-operate with one another for the purpose of vice and aggression” (5:2).